PAC-12 BASKETBALL PREVIEW: UCLA looking like one of the leaders of the Pac

The Bruins were three days removed from a catastrophic loss to Cal Poly, one that sullied the home debut of heralded freshman Shabazz Muhammad. Center Josh Smith had announced his intention to transfer, robbing an already thin frontcourt of at least another 340 pounds.

Speculation around coach Ben Howland's job status ran wild.

UCLA then won six of its next seven games. Most recently, it knocked off then-No. 7 Missouri to end nonconference play with a bold exclamation mark. As the Bruins (10-3) enter Pac-12 play on the fringes of the AP poll, here's how they look.

Backcourt

This undoubtedly is the strength of the team, especially given Muhammad's recent emergence as the star player everyone expected him to be. The nation's No. 1 recruit started off the season late - delayed by an NCAA investigation - and out of shape, set back by injuries as well as freshman eating habits. He now leads the team in scoring (19.6 per game) and recently was named conference and national player of the week.

Should one decide to count the freshman swingman as a forward rather than a third starting guard, what remains is still one of the better backcourts in the conference.

Freshman Jordan Adams is the team's best outside shooter and spent most of the season as the leading scorer until Muhammad rounded into shape. Still second on the team with 17.7 points per game, he already has bailed the Bruins out of a few close games. Adams, the least touted of UCLA's four-man recruiting class, has become one of the country's most pleasant first-year surprises.

Point guard Larry Drew II, the lone senior, has one of the nation's best assist-to-turnover ratios (5.09). He's also shown more tenacity on defense in recent games, something Howland has wanted out of him given his athleticism.

Frontcourt

Frontcourt and backcourt designations aren't exactly set in stone at UCLA, which doesn't have any true inside players. Muhammad, for example, took - and won - the tipoff against Missouri last week. Meanwhile, Travis Wear takes up most of the minutes now at center, but his game relies heavily on his mid-range shot. The junior also is a subpar defender, and the Bruins generally run into difficulty against any skilled big man.

Kyle Anderson has seen most of his minutes at point forward and starts most games in the four-spot. He's not a good shooter, but has superior rebounding and passing instincts.

Bench

The bench is nearly nonexistent given that the Bruins have just eight scholarship players left after the late-November transfers of Smith and guard Tyler Lamb. Both players left within the same four-day span, blemishing what had been an inauspicious start to the season for UCLA.

David Wear is coming off the best game of his career, in which he made all seven of his shots for 16 points, but backup guard Norman Powell has increasingly become a non-factor as Anderson and Adams have entrenched themselves in the starting lineup.

Powell, a starter until he committed a costly late foul against Cal Poly, scored just four points in 24 minutes in his last game. His role is more valuable now as an on-ball defender, although he's still one of the team's more dangerous threats from long range.

Freshman Tony Parker is the team's lone big man and could be a game-changer if he ever develops, but he's committing too many fouls to stay on the floor. The Georgia native expressed discontent from playing time and homesickness, but said he won't transfer midseason.

Season to Date

What a difference two wins make. Consider the state of UCLA's season had it lost games to Texas and Missouri - two victories that came by a combined margin of five points. The team's season-best winning streak began nearly four weeks ago at Reliant Stadium, after the Longhorns blew an eight-point lead with less than four minutes left. Last Friday, that streak stretched to five games after the Tigers gave up a 9-point lead over the final four minutes.

Had those two games gone the other way Howland - still not on solid ground - would be in jeopardy of losing his job at midseason.

Not counting the egregious loss to Cal Poly, the Bruins actually are off to a decent start as they head into conference play. The only Pac-12 team that undoubtedly is better than UCLA is No. 3 Arizona, the preseason favorite to win conference.

The Bruins can become even an average defensive team. ... Howland allows the team to run loose and try to outscore opponents every night. ... Parker gets quality minutes and begins contributing as the team's lone, true big man.